Try Quinoa!

The foodies out there will likely recognize this couscous-lookin’ seed with a crazy name (it’s pronounced KEEN-wah). What you may not know is quinoa is actually closely related to leafy greens like kale. But quinoa‘s got more than just that going for it. It’s packed with protein and provides all nine essential amino acids.

To cook quinoa, start by giving it a rinse to remove the natural soap-like substance that coats the seeds. Then, simply cook it as you would rice in a covered pot with water. Once it’s cooked up, quinoa is more versatile than Lebron James. It can be added to soups, cooked up in a cake, or even baked like pasta casserole.

The Takeaway: Replace plain old rice or couscous with quinoa to pack in extra protein.

This Week’s Recipe

Take all that new quinoa knowledge and use it to make this seasonal and healthy main dish: quinoa and sweet potato-stuffed mushrooms.

Fun Fact:

Way back in ’93, NASA actually recommended growing quinoa on space ships for astronauts to life off of on long-term missions.